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Custodial death: SHO suspended, SI, ASI arrested
Cleanliness drive held as part of Dandi March celebrations
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and DPCC president Ram Babu Sharma participating in a cleanliness drive at Harijan Basti as part of the 75th anniversary celebration of Dandi March in the Capital on Thursday. Tribune photo by Rajeev Tyagi |
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MCD ordered
to pay minimum wages within
a week
MCD fails to take action against ‘tainted’ DC
Govt hauled up for ‘commercialisation’ of industrial areas
Broken nose mishandled, nursing home asked to compensate
Admn sets priorities under
new DC
‘Designers’ Village’ set up in Surajkund
Former Japanese PM travels by Metro
Property of suspended cops to be confiscated
Maithili literary award for Mahendra Malangia
Rs 15 crore for new primary schools
AC nod for new courses
Donation for tsunami victims
Meet on services management at IIMT
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Custodial death: SHO suspended, SI, ASI arrested
New Delhi, March 17 While the accused persons, SI Ram Kumar and ASI Ramesh, were arrested on the charges of murder, the SHO, Mr Narender Pal Singh, has been placed under suspension, as the incident took place in his police station. The victim has been identified as one Kishan Singh (60), a driver and resident of Sarai Bhasti, Sarai Rohilla, who was brought to the police station for questioning on the complaint of one Shakti Singh, resident of Modi Nagar that his Tata 407 was taken away forcibly by Kishan Singh. The police said that after Kishan Singh was brought to the police station his family members were informed about his presence in the police station and even his family members visited him last night. This morning, as Kishan Singh complained of some uneasiness, the police took him to a local hospital from where he was referred to the GTB Hospital. But Kishan Singh was reported brought dead in the hospital. Following the incident, the ADM, Shahdara, is conducting inquest proceedings into the case to ascertain about the incident.
Inter-state
auto-lifter
gang busted
With the arrest of 11 inter-state auto-lifters, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police today claimed to have worked out at least 72 cases of vehicle theft in the national Capital. The sleuths also claimed to have seized four vehicles including two Scorpio jeeps and traced 68 stolen vehicles in Arunachal Pradesh. The accused persons were identified as Mohammad Shamim (25), Naveen Kumar, alias Sagar (24), residents of R. K. Puram, Dr Syed Fazail Ahmed (36), Ali Mohammad, alias Master (35), Shehzad Khan, alias Nadeem Khan (32), Nadeem Khan (26), residents of Meerut, Nitin Tyagi (25), resident of Modi Nagar, Mahesh Kumar (28), resident of Haryana, Thaneshwar Adhikari (39), resident of Guwahati, Amjad Raza Khan (26), Nanu Teli (26), both resident of Arunachal Pradesh. Acting on a tip-off that a well-organised gang of auto-lifters were operating in Delhi and selling the same in Assam, a team was sent to Dispur. The police team struck a deal with the auto-lifters for the supply of two vehicles for an amount of Rs 2.5 lakh. When the auto-lifters came to deliver the vehicles, they were nabbed by the team and later identified as Thaneshwar Adhikari, Mahesh, Naveen and Shamim. During interrogation, they disclosed that they were active in the national Capital. Based on the information of those arrested, the police team struck another deal in Delhi in R. K. Puram area and five persons were later arrested. When the accused persons were later taken to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh two other persons were arrested at the Assam-Arunachal border. Apart from recovering four vehicles, the sleuths also traced 68 other vehicles and are expected to arrest some more persons involved in the racket.
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Cleanliness drive held as part of
New Delhi, March 17 Accompanied by members of their party, Ms Dikshit and Mr Sharma gathered near the Mandir Marg this morning. They then launched the drive to clean the area and were soon joined by others. Mr Sharma said similar cleanliness drives would be held across the city. On the occasion, Mr Sharma observed that
the life of Mahatma Gandhi reminded one and all of their duties and his teachings were relevant even today.
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MCD ordered
to pay minimum wages within
a week
New Delhi, March 17 Mr Justice Vikramajit Sen passed the order against the MCD and directed it to pay to the petitioner, Sonu, minimum wages for the last three years from the date of this order within one week. Sonu has been working as safai karamchari in a MCD school since 1988 and his current salary is Rs 900 per month, which is much less than the minimum wages prescribed under the Minimum Wages Act. The PIL filed by Social Jurists sought the court’s intervention directing the MCD to pay the minimum wages to these 1000 safai karamcharis working in the different MCD schools. The petitioner claimed that the school runs in two shifts, in the morning from 7 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and in the evening from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. He said that between August 23, 1988 and June 25, 1997, he has worked in both the shift and inspite of the fact that he was working full time, he is considered a part-time employee and paid Rs 900 per month. Prior to 1993, he was being paid a meagre Rs 560 per month. “The MCD tried to wriggle its way out by claiming that they have no money. We, however, questioned them on how they could afford to provide laptops and pay the bills for all the foreign jaunts. If they have the money for this, they have to have money to pay the minimum wages,” said Mr Agarwal, the counsel for the petitioner. In terms of this order, the petitioner would get nearly Rs 75,000 as arrears and will benefit nearly 1000 so-called part-time safai karamcharis working in various MCD schools, who are getting only Rs 900 per month as wages.
Lok Adalats to reduce burden on district courts: Govt
Prompted by lawyers’ strike in the Capital over the Delhi Government’s approval to set up four permanent Lok Adalats in the city, the administration has clarified that the objective is to strengthen free legal aid, reconciliation, reduce costs and burden on district courts. The decision to set up the Lok Adalats and 20 fast track courts, was taken by the Cabinet in its meeting held on March 9 and is expected to go a long way in expediting dispensation of justice and clearing backlog of cases. Once established, these Lok Adalats would benefit the people by ensuring that they did not end up paying heavy court fees and The Cabinet had earlier approved creation of the posts for the Lok Adalats but the decision was kept in abeyance till clearance from other states. After similar Lok Adalats were set up in Haryana, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, the Delhi Cabinet revived it and gave its green signal. However, the decision did not go down well with the lawyer community as lawyers were not allowed to appear at the forum and because the award of the Lok Adalat had to be accepted without appeal by the litigants once they submitted to its jurisdiction, besides it was alleged to be a non-judicial body. In the clarification, the Delhi Government said the proposal of establishment of permanent Lok Adalat was pending for more than two years but now the government had received an order from the Delhi High Court, in a contempt case filed by some aggrieved party, wanting to know what steps had been taken for establishing permanent Lok Adalats and the government was required to file a status report in the court on the matter. It was further clarified that any person aggrieved by an order of the Lok Adalat could always approach the High Court in form of a writ petition. It was also stated that the Lok Adalats would be headed by a retired District Judge or a Additional District Judge. Besides, the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court was the Patron-in-Chief and a serving judge of the court the Executive Chairman of the Legal Services Authority, under which the Lok Adalats were to be constituted for the purpose of bringing out reconciliation or settlement between parties with jurisdiction below the value of property worth Rs 10 lakh. Lok Adalats on supply of power and water, insurance services would work six days a week, and ones on transport services by air, road or water, public sanitation services, postal, telegraph and telephone services and those offered by hospitals or dispensaries, three days a
week. — OC
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MCD fails to take action against ‘tainted’ DC
New Delhi, March 17 The CBI had recommended that the Deputy Commissioner should be placed under suspension as and when the charge-sheet for a major penalty is served upon him. According to sources, the recommendation for suspension of the Deputy Commissioner by the CBI was made in January 2003. The Corporation approved the initiation of penalty proceedings and the charge-sheet in August last year, along with the list of witnesses and list of documents against Mr Kumar. The statement of charge framed against the Deputy Commissioner is that “he failed to maintain devotion to duty and absolute integrity and committed gross misconduct in as much as he failed to give prior intimation regarding transactions entered into by him”. He purchased a house in the name of his wife for Rs 40 lakh while the market value of the property assessed by the Income Tax Department was about Rs 2.34 crore. He also made an investment of Rs 32 lakh in property in Hauz Khas in the name of his wife. He had a flat in Rohini in his name, which he disposed off in year 2000. Also, he had a property in Model Town, which was sold subsequently. According to the agenda placed before the Appointment and Disciplinary Action Committee, he acquired an unsecured loan of Rs 10 lakh in the name of his wife and another loan of Rs 33 lakh. He acquired profit obtained from investment in shares and profit obtained thereof to the tone of Rs 38.58 lakh from M/S Pace Financial Services in the name of his wife and their son and daughter in the year 2000. A member of the Appointment and Disciplinary Action Committee said that when the Deputy Commissioner has denied the charges levelled against him the corporation ordered the appointment of an inquiry officer to look into the charges. But no report has been submitted so far on the basis of which the corporation could take action against the officer concerned. He said that department concerned should be held responsible for this lapse. However, the Deputy Commissioner denied all the charges levelled against him saying that he has done every transaction according to law.
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Govt hauled up for ‘commercialisation’
New Delhi, March 17 “You (Union and Delhi Government) cannot loose sight of the fact that unauthorised activities are the main source of corruption in the city. Many of the industrial areas in Delhi are being used for commercial purpose like setting up of corporate offices, showrooms and eating joints, while the government has just closed its eyes,” a Bench of Mr Justice D. M. Dharmadhikari observed. While clubbing the petitions against domestic industries in residential areas and on the lack of power with the MCD to seal illegal commercial units in residential areas, for hearing together, the Court said that it was astonished to know that 70 to 80 per cent of industrial plots in Okhla Phase-I and Phase-II and Naraina have been rented out to the corporate houses or showrooms for carrying out the commercial activities. The Court reminded the Centre, the DDA, the Delhi Government and the MCD that the land-use plan in industrial areas clearly states that apart from small-scale industries no commercial activities could be permitted there. “If you shut your eyes of this fact, then what is the purpose of earmarking an area for establishing the industries,” the Court said, adding on the other hand industrial activities were being carried out in residential areas. “If there is no political will on the part of the government to check the menace, how far the courts can go in such matter, as the ultimate authority to implement the order is the government,” the Bench said. But the Delhi Government tried to shift the blame on the Centre, as its counsel said that the NCT administration was helpless as it had no power over the police to enforce the law and the DDA, the main agency controlling the land, was also under the Union Government. The Court put up the matter for further hearing in third week of April. It may be recalled that the residents of a number of colonies had protested against the increasing commercialisation of the residential areas.
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Broken nose mishandled, nursing home
New Delhi, March 17 If the treatment was provided by a doctor, who was not an ENT specialist and not even a doctor, what to talk of an Orthopaedic, it is a simple case of medical negligence amounting to deficiency in service, the President of the Commission, Justice J. D. Kapoor, the Members, Mr Mahesh Chandra and Mr Rumnitta Mittal, said ordering a compensation of Rs 5,000 to the patient, Mr R.
M.Verma. Allowing an appeal filed by Mr Verma, who was treated by one Dr Dhami of Shakuntala Nursing Home, against an order of a District Forum, the Commission said any person who is not competent to deal with the medical problem should not have taken the case in hand. Mr Verma received an injury on his nose in an assault on February 18, 1997. The doctor later plastered Mr Verma’s nose and assured that it would straighten after it was removed and charged him Rs 800. After ten painful days within which the complainant visited Dhami twice, he was shocked to hear the doctor eventually asking him to get operated by an ENT specialist. Pointing out that the district forum had dismissed Mr Verma’s complaint merely on the ground that he failed to prove that he got improper treatment, the state forum said there was no dispute that the appellant was incompetent to attend to the complainant.
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Admn sets priorities under
new DC
Gurgaon, March 17 Talking to mediapersons, Mr Rajpal said, “With the city coming on the global map, it was only poetic justice that its sanitation was of a high standard. Anyone visiting the city should go with satisfaction that the standard of sanitation was true to its growing stature,” he said. To attain the goal of sanitation, the administration has decided that scavenging of the streets would be done in the night time. This model is in vogue in the Nizam city of Hyderabad aka Cyberabad. Depending on the success, the experiment will be done to other parts of the district. Also, a major dumping ground of garbage of the city will be set up, he added. With regard smooth functioning of vehicular traffic, the administration has decided to formulate a holistic approach soon after proper survey. The logistics expanding the roads is also part of the remedial measures. With a view to make the functioning of departments more responsive to the public, the administration has decided to set up a nodal ‘Help Line’. The help line would be for the benefit of the public who could register their grievances or complaints relating to civic amenities. The concerned authorities would then be in a position to make concerted attempt to solve the problems and also get feed back on follow up action to it. Basically, the formula approximates ‘Single Window Concept’.
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‘Designers’ Village’ set up in Surajkund
New Delhi, March 17 The Designers’ Village, a permanent bazaar set up in the Surajkund Mela ground, will be inaugurated along with the fair organised by the Haryana Tourism in collaboration with the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts). The objective of setting up a permanent Designers’ Village is to give artisans and craftsmen a perfect platform to showcase their inherent skills, the Haryana Tourism said here. Fifteen designers’ galleries have been set up in the first phase, where 50 artists and craftsmen were already displaying their products, which include unique creations in wood, metal, brass, bamboo, iron and glass. Folk dances and other cultural programmes add to the charm of the place.
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Former Japanese PM travels by Metro
New Delhi, March 17 Power shutdown
The NDPL has announced power shutdown for Friday in Sector-16 Sadar Colony and Saraswati Apartment, Rohini, Sector 9 from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Power shut down would also take place between
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in parts of Nirankari Colony area. — TNS
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Property of suspended cops to be confiscated
Greater Noida, March 17 The Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Piyush Mordia, has constituted a number of teams for the confiscation of the property of the cops as ordered by the court. Meanwhile, the various teams constituted to arrest the absconding policemen have failed to show any results. Now, doubts are being expressed in some quarters whether 22 police teams were at all constituted for the purpose. The Superintendent of Police (Rural), Mr M. P. Singh had pleaded in the Court of the CJM for the confiscation of the properties of the absconding cops, which was finally accepted by the court. The former SO of Kasna police station, who was earlier suspended for his alleged involvement in the case, wanted to surrender himself in the court, which was finally rejected by the CJM’s court. Instead, the court ordered that the property of all the accused be confiscated. According to the district police chief, the property of all the accused cops would be confiscated in a day or two by the special teams set up for the purpose.
Three Pakistanis held in Loni
Ghaziabad, March 17 The three accused had first tried to hoodwink the police, but later confessed during an interrogation that they were indeed Pakistani citizens. According to Nagender Singh, in charge of the Intelligence Wing, Sattar Ahmed (son of Abrar Ahmed) was originally a native of Nai Abadi, New Karachi, Pakistan.
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Maithili literary award for Mahendra Malangia
New Delhi, March 17 The award instituted in the honour of the octogenarian author, poet, translator and editor in Maithili, Dr Prabodh Narayan Singh, and a doyen of the Maithili language movement during the last 55 years, which culminated in Maithili being included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution in December 2003, carries a cash award of Rs one lakh and a citation. The 15-member jury headed by eminent linguist and litterateur, Mr Udaya Narayan Singh, unanimously chose Mr Malangia for the ‘Prabodh Sahitya Samman’ from over 30 nominations received for the award. Announcing the award, Mr Udaya Narayan Singh, chairman of the jury, said, “Mr Mahendra Malangia, a doyen of Maithili drama movement, has brought the hitherto unseen sections of our society to the public gaze through his penetrating works. Mr Malangia has established the presence of Dalit and backward sections of the society in Maithili literature.
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Rs 15 crore for new primary schools
Noida, March 17 The District Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar district, Mr Santosh Kumar Yadav, said that twenty-three new primary schools would be set up, which would include 13 junior schools. The administration has approved a budget of about Rs 15 crore for the construction of buildings for new primary and junior schools, renovations, creating new facilities for students such as rooms, furniture etc, said the District Magistrate. Mr Yadav said that some 203 teaching friends (Shikshra Miters) will also be appointed in the district. There is a plan to start computer education in 28 rural schools in the districts for which Rs 30 lakh has been provided in the budget. A dependable power supply will be one of the criteria for selection of schools for computerisation, said the District Magistrate. Teaching aids and materials would be supplied to 533 schools in the district to improve the visual learning in the schools. Visual aids worth Rs 1,463 would be supplied to each of these schools.
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AC nod for new courses
New Delhi, March 17
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Donation for tsunami victims
New Delhi, March 17 The school collected the fund from the pocket money of its students and a day’s salary of its teachers and other staffers to help the victims of the December 26 tidal waves in Tamil Nadu and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said its principal Veena Bhasin, who accompanied Mr Mallikarjunaiah as part of the delegation. “Our intention is to foster a helping nature towards people in distress. We (Kashmiri migrants) ourselves are displaced people and this is just a token and humble contribution to help the survivors of nature’s disaster,’’ she pointed out, adding that the money collected will go the needy through the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. The trust, which runs schools in Dwarka and Greater Noida, is also engaged in reviving closed schools in Jammu and Kashmir. It now intends to start a school in
Bangalore. — TNS
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Meet on services management at IIMT
New Delhi, March 17 The conference was inaugurated by Mr Anand Sharma, Member of Parliament. The service industry, healthcare, education, telecommunications, hospitality and tourism, post sales services etc., are some of areas witnessing lot of action. It may be mentioned that India has opted for services driven development model. The contribution from the service sector today stands over 40 per cent of the total GDP of India and currently employs more than 20 million people in India. As such, it is important that aspects such as productivity, management of process, growth- drivers and such other critical factors for success are identified and policy formulated at both industry and firm level.
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The Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit and the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President, Mr Ram Babu Sharma, today led scores of men and women in a cleanliness drive, organised as a part of the Dandi March celebration that was launched by the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, on March 12.
